Sanofi May Sell 200 Mature Drugs; Abbott, Mylan Potential Buyers

According to a 25-page internal document reviewed by Reuters, French drugmaker Sanofi has held talks with Abbott Labs, Mylan and private equity firms regarding the possible sale of an $8.5 billion portfolio of mature drugs.

The document indicated that Sanofi has been exploring multiple options - including potential sale, carve-out, or joint-venture - for mature drugs such as blood thinner Plavix, anti-epileptic Depakine and antibiotic Pyostacine.

A potential sale would minimize exposure to price cuts, reduce Sanofi's European manufacturing, and of course, free up cash.

According to Reuters, the document mentioned that that Pfizer, Japan's Otsuka and Teva were not interested in the drug portfolio, while talks with AstraZeneca and GSK were still pending.

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